Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many players get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in nearly all poker games.

The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complicated at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.